History UndyingLoyalty / Literature

* ''LightNovel/IBecameTheDemonLordSoICreatedADungeon'': Zaien, Yuki's sword, lives and would die for Yuki, without hesitation.

* Lucy Pennykettle to David Rain in ''Literature/TheLastDragonChronicles''.

* Sancho Panza claims to be this for ''Literature/DonQuixote'', but there are limits for patience when in the service of a LordErrorProne who always manages to get himself and Sancho in an HumiliationConga [[OnceAnEpisode Once A Chapter]]. Several times in the book, Sancho considers leaving Don Quixote's service, but he is so fond of him he never does it.
-->"...if I were wise I should have left my master long ago; but this was my fate, this was my bad luck; I can't help it, I must follow him; we're from the same village, I've eaten his bread, I'm fond of him, I'm grateful, [[ItMakesSenseInContext he gave me his ass-colts]], and above all I'm faithful; so it's quite impossible for anything to separate us, [[NeverSayDie except the pickaxe and shovel]]."

Whose honest heart is still his Master’s own\\

* Semerkhet in ''Literature/ALegacyOfLight'' faithfully serves his master, Pharaoh Tutankhamun, finding his loyalty to the king warming into friendship, even brotherhood.
* [[TheChampion Sam Gamgee]] is Frodo's servant in ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings''. [[{{Determinator}} He followed him into]] ''{{Mordor}}'' for no other reason than loyalty. It is proverbial among Tolkienites.

* LightNovel/GaaraHidenASandstormMirage'': Gaara earns Shijima's unwavering trust and loyalty when he lets Hakuto and Shigezane go and live in Konoha under new identities.

** Like the Northern Houses, the Vale Lords are completely loyal to House Arryn -- particularly to [[TheGoodChancellor Jon Arryn]] and, by proxy, to his son [[IllGirl Robert Arryn]].

* The first book of ''Literature/TheSwordOfTruth'' series is dealing with a ritual the BigBad uses to get into the world of the dead and back. It involves brainwashing a young boy into complete loyalty, killing him (by making him drink molten lead), and then using his spirit to travel to the underworld and back. As a case of taking the trope UpToEleven, the boy must remain loyal ''until the traveler returns''. In a later book, Richard uses this ritual as well, except he already had a spirit loyal enough to him since book one.

* In ''Literature/{{Dune}}'', the servitors of the Atreides [[spoiler:except Yueh]] are loyal to their House. [[spoiler:And even Yueh took steps to ensure that Paul and Jessica would survive his betrayal.]] Duncan Idaho sacrifices himself to buy time for Paul and Jessica's escape, Gurney Halleck quickly renews his service to Paul when he discovers he is alive, and Thufir Hawat kills himself rather than follow through on orders from the Emperor to kill Paul.

* Melanie Wilkes towards Scarlett O'Hara in ''Literature/GoneWithTheWind''. It doesn't matter what Scarlett does, what social norms she breaks, or how uncomfortable Melly might feel about some of these things. She is Team Scarlett 100% and she will cast aside people she has known and loved since childhood if they speak against Scarlett. She doesn't seem to notice that Scarlett for a long while despises her -- they are sisters in law and family and to Melly that's that. Of course, it helps that Melly is the only one who was there and saw everything Scarlett suffered and all the sacrifices she made so that those in her household could have food, clothing and a roof over their heads.

** [[spoiler:Sirius Black]] has put himself through a ''lot'' out of loyalty to [[TheHero Harry]] and [[BrilliantButLazy his (now-deceased) father]], who was Sirius' best friend.
** Possibly the best example of this trope in the series is [[spoiler: Severus Snape]]. Readers (and every character, except for [[spoiler:Dumbledore]]) don't learn of [[spoiler:Snape's]] loyalty, sacrifice, or the circumstances of it until the end of the last book, though it has defined him the whole time. In addition to [[spoiler:Snape's]] loyalty to [[spoiler:Dumbledore, he devoted the rest of his life to protecting Harry Potter, the son of his lost love Lily, and ultimately dies in his efforts to save him]].
** Also, [[TheLancer Ron's]] loyalty to [[TheChosenOne Harry]] is repeatedly mentioned. They have a couple of instances where they're on the outs (they ''are'' teenage boys), but on the whole they're practically brothers, and Ron stands wandless on a broken leg to get in between Harry and someone he thinks is trying to kill him in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban PoA]]'' saying they'd have to kill him to get at Harry. [[spoiler:The "practically" is erased after [[OfficialCouple Harry marries Ginny]] in the epilogue as they become brothers-in-law]].

** Dobby is always willing to help Harry, whether it's [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire helping him in the Triwizard Tournament]], [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix finding him training space for his rebellion]], or [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets warning him of danger]], he'll do it. [[spoiler:His loyalty eventually [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows costs him his life]].]]

* Peeta Mellark towards Katniss Everdeen in ''Literature/TheHungerGames''. Their mentor Haymitch notes after their first arena that there was no point in trying to save Peeta because he didn't want it -- he wanted Katniss to win. [[spoiler:Even brainwashing (or "hijacking") designed to make him hate and fear Katniss, essentially turning him into a weapon against her, is able to change this for more than a few weeks or months at the most. This in comparison to every other person who has been subjected to this -- Peeta is the ''only'' one who has been able to overcome it.]]

** The Goblins of Goblin-town in ''Literature/TheHobbit'' to the Great Goblin, even after he is [[NiceJobBreakingItHero killed by Gandalf trying to save the dwarves and Bilbo]]. The Great Goblin and his minions believed the dwarves were plotting against them when they discovered the dwarves in their territory, but we know they were really trying to head to the Lonely Mountain to confront Smaug the Dragon. This was cemented further when the Great Goblin saw the blade that slew many Goblins beforehand in possession of Thorin. When the Great Goblin was killed, all the other Goblins with their Wargs followed Thorin's company to avenge their ruler, [[spoiler:[[FromBadToWorse and believed they were more of a threat when Smaug was killed and the dwarves' treasure was reclaimed, regardless of the fact that the dwarves, elves and men were not interested in sharing]]. The Goblins lost the battle of Five Armies to the [[EnemyMine allied dwarves, elves, men and Eagles]] despite managing to kill Thorin, Fíli, and Kíli. [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings Years later, they would get more revenge by wiping out the Moria dwarves, including Balin, Ori, and Óin]]]].

* Giacomo, the protagonist of ''Literature/RebelGenius'', is revealed to be [[spoiler:a Tulpa, an artistic being of destruction]] near the end of the book. Instead of treating him coldly like they had before (though Aaminah had been friendly), his new friends (especially Savino, who is TheRival for Giacamo) decide that he's ultimately their friend, and they start [[spoiler:seeing Tulpa in a different light]].

** Davos is forever loyal to King Stannis Baratheon, even after [[spoiler: losing four sons in Stannis' service]].
** Catelyn orders Brienne to bring Sansa back to her from King's Landing. By the time Brienne arrives, Sansa is no longer there, so Brienne starts searching for Sansa desperately, despite the dangers of the road [[spoiler:and the fact that Catelyn is already dead by the time, and there is no safe place Brienne could bring Sansa to anyway]].
** The entire North ([[spoiler:except for the Boltons and possibly the Karstarks, Ryswells, and Dustins]]) exhibit this trope toward the Starks. The Northmen, both lords and smallfolk alike, are willing to march through blizzards, bone-chilling cold in a state of near starvation, or just keep on fighting even when all hope is faded, for the sake of the Starks. Special mention goes to House Manderly. [[spoiler:The North's loyalty to the Stark family is the reason why King Stannis Baratheon wants to legitimize Lord Eddard Stark's [[HeroicBastard illegitimate son Jon Snow]] (who was openly raised by Eddard as his son alongside his trueborn offspring) so Stannis can win the North's support via a son of Eddard Stark -- Jon -- but Jon turns Stannis down out of loyalty to his father's gods, duty to the Night's Watch, and for the sake of his half-sister Sansa's claim on Winterfell.]] Special mention should also go to Greatjon Umber, who is one of Robb's staunchest supporters and is furious if anyone even insults Robb.

** The Kingsguard are ''supposed'' to be this in regard to the King of Westeros. The last memeber of the kingsguard who actually did that was… maybe Ser Arthur Dayne?

** Villainous example: [[TheDragon Bellatrix Lestrange]] is completely loyal to [[BigBad Voldemort,]] to the point of proudly going to Azkaban for him.

** The ThreeAmigos ([[TheHero Luke,]] [[TheChick Leia]] and [[TheLancer Han]]) of the [[StarWars Original Trilogy]] qualify even better. It's what Palpatine used to tempt Luke to fall to TheDarkSide, and almost succeeded.

* Hagrid is extremely loyal to Dumbledore in ''Literature/HarryPotter'', probably more so than any other person. It is mutual, too. Dumbledore outright tells Professor McGonagall that he trusts Hagrid with his life.

** Molly to Harry. Harry's not too happy about this, given all of the questionable deeds she's done for his sake. Mab goes so far as to [[NotSoDifferent compare him]] to his old EvilMentor Justin.

* In ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians'', this is the titular character's FatalFlaw.

* Hagrid is extremely loyal to Dumbledore in ''Literature/HarryPotter'', probably more so than any other person. It is mutual, too. Dumbledore outright tells Professor McGonagall that he trusts hagrid with his life.

* Hagrid is extremely loyal to Dumbledore in ''Literature/HarryPotter'', probably more so than any other person.

* Lucy Pennykettle to David Rain in ''[[Literature/{{Dragons}} The Last Dragon Chronicles]]''.

* ''Literature/WolfHall'' portrays Thomas Cromwell as being very close to Cardinal Wolsey. After Wolsey is kicked out of his office and exiled north for failing to get Henry's marriage to Catharine of Aragon annulled, Cromwell spends most of his time trying to restore Wolsey to the King's good graces -- unsuccessfully, and Wolsey dies on a journey back to a trial for treason. Cromwell often thinks about Wolsey and what he would do in a given situation and still refers to him as his "master". Later, when the King wants Anne Boleyn gone, Cromwell uses the opportunity to avenge Wolsey by having the five men who he deems most responsible convicted and executed alongside her.

* [[Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse Mara Jade]] isn't the kind to give away her loyalty easily, but when she does, she'll defend whatever she chose with her life. She tends to be loyal to specific people rather than a large group; to Palpatine as an [[ProfessionalKiller Emperor's Hand]], to Talon Karrde as a smuggler, and to Luke and Ben as a Jedi, wife and [[MamaBear mother]].

* In ''Literature/SweetPiglet'', we have this with the piglet, after its master dies.